Our Saturday postman refused to deliver my post cos i had Jasper outside, even tho our normal postman had told him that he was only a puppy and was very friendly. he left our post on the other postmans desk with a note on it saying could not deliver as large dog in garden! ok i too would be very cautious of going into any garden with a dog especially a great dane. i did see the postman once and he handed me my post over the fence and made a fuss of the dog but he still said he wouldnt come in altho he has seen him grow since we got him as a tiny pup.

he perhaps does Julie, but if it seriously stresses you out that much surely he coudl ask to work in the depot or something. I am not kidding he visibly shakes., my dog has never done anything to him ever. Even if we see him when out he will cross the road or hide up someones path to avoid us... I did think it was maybe the fact he was a staffie but on speaking to the rest of the neighbours it appears he does it with all the dogs.

I actually feel sorry for the guy as he looks like a nervous wreck - but why do something that makes you so terrified.

Bruno misses the postlady we used to have as she brought him biscuits...

Do lots of people let their dogs out in front gardens then? We've not actually got a front door (nor a front garden really, we're just a lone semi-detached house down the end of a private lane so the gardens surround the house, a bit like a corner plot) but the dogs have always been kept in the back half and we have an external postbox at the front gate. I'd never dream of making a postie feel he had to walk into a garden with dogs in, nor would I put my dogs at risk of a bite claim by putting them in an area that just anyone could walk into (know current legislation would prevent action being taken on private land but still wouldn't want my dog labelled as aggressive if it nipped a total stranger who was wandering in uninvited).

Funnily enough, the neighbour had left their gate open or something and their two dogs were out in the farm lane this morning so the postman didn't get out to deliver our post, not that I blame him! Next door's dogs are two huuge GSDs so a bit daunting to most people!

Well my husband changed his job as not too many milkmen can work in the depot not sure how posties are fixed for that sort of request. But really it isn't that difficult to keep dogs on leads or fenced away from delivery people surely.

If the dog is running round the streets biting people then I don't think its the royal mail who need to take action!

Several years ago we had a milkman who was terrified of dogs & when he was on holiday his relief said he hated this round as there were many unfriendly dogs while on his own round there were none. I said I wa sure it was because of our milkman's fear & brought mine out to meet him. From then on they were fine when he was on the job but they still went mad when our own milkman came.

I'd be very annoyed with neighbours if my postman were prevented from coming here as I'm disabled he leaves my post on the side in the porch were its easy for me to access & even, when he knows I'm unwell, gets my letters signed for by my friend over the road & then leaves them in my porch. I'd blame the neighbours though not Royal Mail or the dog.

Our house has a narrow strip of garden between the front and back gardens but there's a gate there which we keep locked. Houses on corners seem to usually have just one big garden which would be more of a problem than this set up though.

i shut my door when he rings the bell so that i am outside my house with the dog inside but he still makes me walk halfway down the path to where he is standing - I dont know if he thinks the dog is going to break through the door or what ??? :

I read that story and it didn't seem to be a close but a whole street and the dog terrorisies the neighbours as well. The owners seem to think because it's small it's not a problem and appear to allow it to run about anywhere in the street. The council wrote to them at the beginning of January telling them they had to get rid of the dog but maybe as no post is delivered they haven't received it.

No one should be allowing their dog, no matter what size it is to run free and scare people. It's a wonder the dog hasn't been kicked by anyone by now.

He sounds just the one we have here (although I haven't seen him for a while, so perhaps he has asked to have a different round!). I think he must actually be dog phobic, not just a bit scared.

Up here he really would run the gauntlet of dogs though - as all the properties are either farms or gamekeepers and everyone has dogs.

The other two posties love the dogs.